>>> WE ARE BACK WITH OUR SPECIAL
SERIES, "TEACHERS ON THE FRONT
LINES."
CARSON JOINS US ONCE AGAIN.
>> YEAH, GUYS.
WE ALL HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL RIGHT
NOW, SO WE KNOW ABOUT THE
CHALLENGES ON OUR END AS
PARENTS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO ARE TASKED WITH
TEACHING OUR KIDS?
TEN MONTHS NOW INTO THE
PANDEMIC, HOW ARE THAZEY HOLDING
UP?
>> WE SENT INVESTIGATOR CONSUMER
CORRESPONDENT VICKY NGUYEN TO
LOOK INTO IT AND TALK TO FOLKS.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
LIKE MANY FRONT LINE WORKERS,
TEACHERS ARE UNDER PRESSURE LIKE
NEVER BEFORE.
THEY’RE BALANCING PERSONAL
WORRIES ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND
LEARNING HOW TO TEACH AS THE
RULES KEEP CHANGING.
THE GOOD NEWS, THE VACCINES ARE
ON THE WAY, AND SOME STATES ARE
NOW FAST-TRACKING TEACHERS TO
PROTECT THEM.
THIS MORNING, A FIRSTHAND LOOK
AT HOW OUR TEACHERS ARE COPING.
>> TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS
WHERE I HAD TO DIG DEEP.
>> I’M DEFINITELY REACHING A
BREAKING POINT. >> I’M EXHAUSTED.
>> I’M EXHAUSTED.
>> IT’S BEEN A HECK OFCIDEING AT
WE WILL SWITCH TO VIRTUAL
LEARNING.
>> Reporter: TEACHERS SHARING
VIDEO DIARIES OF WHAT IT FEELS
LIKE DAY TO DAY, TEACHING DURING
THIS PANDEMIC.
>> CURRENTLY ON MY SEVENTH HOUR
OF SCREEN TIME TODAY.
I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE HOW MY
STUDENTS ARE FEELING.
>> ALMOST EVERY DAY SINCE MARCH
HAS BEEN LIKE THIS.
>> Reporter: CORNELIUS MINOR IS
A MIDDLE SCHOOLTEACHER IN
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
>> AT FIRST, IT WAS THE TERROR
OF COVID-19 ITSELF AND THE
MASSIVE LOSS OF LIFE.
IT FELT LIKE IT WAS THE REALITY,
THAT IN THE EYES OF THE STATE,
NOT ALL OF OUR LIVES MATTER.
NOW, IT’S THIS, THAT THE VERY
DEMOCRACY UPON WHICH OUR
EDUCATIONS REST AND UPON WHICH
OUR NATION RESTS IS NOT JUST
BEING QUESTIONED BY FOLKS BUT
ATTACKED BY FOLKS.
EVERY DAY, TEACHING FEELS
INCREDIBLY HEAVY.
>> Reporter: WE SPOKE WITH FOUR
PUBLIC SCHOOLTEACHERS FROM
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, TO LEARN HOW
THEY’RE TEACHING THROUGH IT ALL.
SHOW OF HANDS, HOW MANY OF YOU
ARE ACTUALLY WORRIED ABOUT YOUR
OWN HEALTH IN CONTRACTING
CORONAVIRUS?
YOU ALL ARE.
>> WHEN WE STARTED THE FIRST DAY
OF SCHOOL WITH KIDS IN PERSON,
WE STILL DIDN’T HAVE THE
CLEANING SUPPLIES.
WE’RE TOLD WE HAD TO GO BUY OUR
OWN SPRAY BOTTLES.
>> MY INDIVIDUAL HEALTH HAS TO
COME FIRST.
STAYING REMOTE IS IMPORTANT TO
ME.
>> Reporter: HOW MANY OF YOU
HAVE HAD STUDENTS WHO CONTRACTED
THE CORONAVIRUS?
ALL OF YOU.
>> IT’S REALLY ALARMING BECAUSE
WHERE MY SCHOOL IS AT, IT IS
ALSO CONSIDERED A HOT SPOT.
>> Reporter: SOME ARE RETURNING
TO THE CLASSROOM DESPITE
CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR OWN HEALTH.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE BEING
PRESENTED WITH A VERY TOUGH,
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE?
>> I DO.
WE ARE IN THE POSITION WHERE
WE’RE CHOOSING OUR LIFE OVER OUR
LIVELIHOOD.
NO ONE SHOULD BE PUT IN THAT
POSITION.
>> Reporter: LONG- TERM, THEY
WORRY THE PANDEMIC CAN MAKE THE
CURRENT TEACHER SHORTAGE EVEN
WORSE.
HAVE ANY OF YOU CONSIDERED
LEAVING TEACHING AS A PROFESSION
BECAUSE OF THESE CHALLENGES?
ALL OF YOU.
A SURVEY TAKEN LAST AUGUST FOUND
28% OF EDUCATORS SAID THE
PANDEMIC MADE THEM MORE LIKELY
TO LEAVE TEACHING.
>> I WAS INCREASINGLY CONCERNED
ABOUT BEING EXPOSED TO THE
CORONAVIRUS.
>> Reporter: ANDREA MURPHY
TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY IN
MESA, ARIZONA, FOR 27 YEARS.
LAST OCTOBER, AFTER TEACHING IN
PERSON FOR THREE WEEKS, SHE MADE
THE TOUGHEST DECISION OF HER
CAREER.
>> I FOUND MYSELF BECOMING MORE
STRESSED, MORE CONCERNED, AND
PHYSICALLY ILL.
THEN I REALIZED THAT MAYBE I
JUST NEEDED TO RETIRE NOW.
>> Reporter: WHAT CURRENTLY
WORRIES YOU THE MOST AS A
TEACHER?
>> MY FEAR IS THAT BY PUTTING
ALL THIS PRESSURE ON KIDS, WE
ARE NOT GIVING THEM THE SPACE
THAT THEY NEED.
>> THERE’S EXTREME AMOUNT OF
PRESSURE ON ALL OF US TO
OUTPERFORM WITH NO RESOURCES,
AND I THINK THAT THAT’S PRETTY
RIDICULOUS.
>> Reporter: BUT TEACHERS ARE
FINDING INSPIRATION FROM SUPPORT
GROUPS ONLINE AND USING THEIR
CREATIVITY TO KEEP KIDS ENGAGED.
♪
WHETHER IT IS DRESSING IN
COSTUME.
>> SOMETIMES I NEED TO BECOME A
GREEK WARRIOR. >> Reporter: DANCING.
>> Reporter: DANCING.
OR PRODUCING A VIRTUAL
SING-A-LONG.
♪
>> Reporter: TEACHERS TELL US
WHAT KEEPS THEM GOING IS WHAT
GOT THEM STARTED, THE JOY OF
SEEING STUDENTS LIGHT UP WHEN
THEY LEARN.
>> WHAT WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW,
EVEN IN REMOTE LEARNING, IS, IN
FACT, WORKING.
>> I’M FEELING HOPEFUL.
>> TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY.
>> LOOK, I THINK WE ALWAYS KNEW
TEACHERS WERE IMPORTANT, BUT
THIS PANDEMIC HAS REALLY
HIGHLIGHTED THE WORK THAT THEY
ARE DOING.
AS A PARENT OF THREE YOUNG GIRLS
IN SCHOOL MYSELF, WE CAN’T THANK
OUR TEACHERS ENOUGH.
WE TALK ABOUT THESE VACCINES.
SOME ARE GETTING THEM SOONER
THAN FIRST ANTICIPATED.
THE TEACHERS UNION IN NEW YORK
CITY ANNOUNCED A PROGRAM TO
SPEED UP AND EXPAND ACCESS TO
VACCINES FOR ITS NEARLY 200,000
MEMBERS.
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY NEW YORK
CITY EDUCATORS WILL BE GETTING
THE VACCINES.
>> YOU MADE A GOOD POINT THERE.
YOU SAID TEACHERS WANT TO BE
HEARD.
THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW THEY ARE
GOING THROUGH SOMETHING IN THIS
MOMENT.
I THINK US AS PARENTS, IT’S
LIKE, WE WANT TO HELP THEM.
WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU THINK
PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP OUT
TEACHERS?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THE TEACHERS HAVE TOLD US,
BECOME AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR
TEACHERS.
GET INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL BOARD
MEETINGS, EVEN IF IT IS
VIRTUALLY.
VOLUNTEER IF YOU CAN.
HELP FUNDRAISE.
TEACHERS TOLD ME THAT EVEN IF
YOU CAN SEND AN EMAIL TELLING
THEM A CHILD’S SUCCESS STORY,
THAT MAKES THEM GO A LONG WAY.
IT FILLS THEIR EMOTIONAL BANK,
RIGHT?
SO THOSE ARE LITTLE THINGS YOU
CAN DO.
THEY DON’T EVEN COST MONEY.
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN LETTING
TEACHERS KNOW THEY’RE VALUED,
APPRECIATED, AND RESPECTED.
>> SAY THANK YOU, BASICALLY.
>> EVERY PARENT WHO HAS TRIED TO
HELP THEIR KID LEARN AT HOME.
>> OF COURSE.
>> APPRECIATING WHAT TEACHERS DO
MORE THAN EVER.
IT’S SO HARD.
>> TEACHERS WERE
UNDERAPPRECIATED BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC.
>> GROSSLY UNDERPAID.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> I WALKED IN YESTERDAY, DEL
WAS ON HIS MAT DOING P.E.
I WAS LIKE, THIS IS REGARDMARKAB